NaNoWriMo – Week Four

So, there we have it. November is over and I didn’t write one word. Not a single word. This is my worst attempt out of every year I’ve done it – and there have been a few. Granted, I’ve had more failures than successes (I’ve only completed it once) but I usually get a good chunk in. I can’t even blame the distractions, really, other than the competition.

Oh well, time to move forward.

What have I discovered?

Well, it’s far too easy to get distracted! One year, I’m going to have the time to commit to this challenge properly – working full-time, even if it’s with a set routine, can be tiring and coming home to work for another 2-3 hours a night is a lot to ask every day. I thought I could do it, but it was too much.

I know I hark on about the competition but it did eat up a lot of time and, unfortunately, I don’t have much to show for it other than a revised plan and introduction for both stories. There are other competitions out there and I’ll be sure to keep submitting and trying to see if I can get somewhere with them.

Even having a plan doesn’t guarantee I’m going to be able to write – even if it’s a story I’ve known for a long time with characters I’m familiar with. Doing something new isn’t necessarily better but it can be new, creative and exciting to dive into something headfirst. It’s down to choice. I’ve failed with both and succeeded with one…which is the opposite of what I tried this year. Should I read into that too much?

What’s next?

Well, December will see me working on my novella. I want to get it as close to finished as possible before Christmas so I can have a proper break. I don’t mind too much if it needs a bit of touching up after but I want the bulk of it done first.

After that, it’s back to the novel I did in 2010’s NaNoWriMo. I need to add another 20-30k words to it and then make sure it’s consistent with the standard set in the first chapter. That’s my benchmark right now. From there, I’ll decide what the next draft needs. Following that, I’ll work on the sci-fi novel that was my other competition entry option.

All the while, I have an idea for a kid’s series that I’m going to do some research on. It’s something new to try, just like the novella is at the moment. It’s a lot of work but if I can get to December 2015 and have it done, I can be proud of myself! That’s my pre-New Year’s resolution.

Back to normal

Well, not quite. There will be one more post this month – maybe two if I have time – before I stop writing for Christmas. This will be the first year that I can just chill, not worry about blogging or writing or anything else. I have the time off work and I have plenty of plans to see friends and family, eat lots of food and hopefully enjoy some snow.